APOY 2015 Round 7: Lie of the Land

APOY 2015 round 7: Lie of the Land

Please visit the APOY 2015 home page to find all the rules for entry, terms and conditions, the APOY ENTRY EMAIL ADDRESS and the disclaimers that must be copied and pasted into an email entry.

Entries must be received by midnight (UK time) on 27 September 2015

For this round, we want to see your landscape and cityscape photographs. Landscapes and cityscapes have a lot more in common than first meets the eye. Both require the application of the most fundamental rules of photography, both are made or unmade by the light, and both can benefit from accessories such as filters. Both the landscape and cityscape require that you learn to break down the scene and mentally reduce it to its most essential components in order to make sense of chaos.

No matter what kind of location you’re shooting, planning is a must, so make sure you know the area. Are you in the best position relative to the light and composition? How does the weather affect the scene? And, of course, try to shoot in raw as you’ll have a lot more information to work with in post-production. While a shallow depth of field can look beautiful in these locations, also try maximising your depth of field. There’s nothing more breathtaking than a sharply focused landscape.

This month’s prize

Win a Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM | Contemporary lens and USB Dock

The Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM I C is a lightweight, compact hyper-telephoto zoom lens that enables easy handling. It has a dustproof and splashproof mount, as well as a water and oil-repellant coating on the front and rear lenses. The 150-600mm f/5-6.3 lens boasts an updated Optical Stabilizer (OS) that features an accelerometer for improved horizontal and vertical panning – which is essential for bird and wildlife photography. Two switches have been added for ease of use, including a new zoom lock that’s capable of locking at any focal distance, and a manual override (MO) switch for improved control of focusing performance. An enhanced AF algorithm and Hyper Sonic Motor ensure quiet and fast autofocus.

The Sigma USB Dock enables photographers to update firmware and customise features of the lens via Sigma Optimization Pro software, which is available as a free download.

That’s a total prize value of £1,238.99 for round seven.

Landscapes and cityscapes have more in common than you think. Here are some tips to help you

Shadows

Not long after sunrise and not long before sunset, when the sun is low in the sky, you’ll find the most remarkable light that perfectly shows off the form of three-dimensional elements. This light is often soft as it diffuses through multiple layers of cloud near the horizon, so it produces wonderful dark shadows. If you shoot towards the light you can fill your frame with backlit objects sporting golden haloes, graphic semi-silhouettes and skies with peachy hues.

Pan Stiches

Pan stitches are a lot of fun to produce. Place your camera on a tripod and ensure that the surface you’re positioned on is flat. Set your camera to manual. You then need to pan your image from end to end, taking a picture at set increments. You should also make sure that there’s some degree of overlap, as this makes it easier to later stitch your images together. Then, using Photoshop’s Photomerge function, you can produce your pan stitch.

Night Vision

If you want to shoot a cityscape during the evening, find a spot where you can see the buildings and their lights to best effect. Place the camera on a tripod, and turn the mode dial to AV (aperture priority) mode – you want f/8 and upwards for a greater depth of field. Use your camera’s self-timer or a cable release to take a photo with absolutely no blurring.

Lenses

A wide lens such as a 24-105mm can give you a dramatic sweeping image of a city or landscape and provide coverage of both foreground and background. However, don’t neglect the other end of the scale. Natural and man-made areas can consist of many fascinating elements. A longer lens such as a 70-200mm can help you to home in on some of the most interesting details of your subject and compress your shot down into a tighter frame.

**Please visit the APOY 2015 home page to find all the rules for entry, terms and conditions, the APOY ENTRY EMAIL ADDRESS and the disclaimers that must be copied and pasted into an email entry.

Entries for APOY 2015 round 7: Lie of the Land must be received by midnight (UK time) on 27 September 2015